This is lighthearted and fun Summer read, perfect for whiling away a sunny afternoon in the garden! The setting is idyllic and beautifully described and the characters immensely likeable, despite their inherent flaws or mistakes. I found the story so gripping that I read the whole thing in one go, despite only intending to read a few chapters initially. I have enjoyed all of Portia MacIntosh’s books, but I think this one might be the best yet!

Loved this book! A light, summer beachy-read, perfect escapism during a travel-free COVID lifestyle. I enjoyed the characters, even the ones we are supposed to dislike. Descriptions of gorgeous beaches and the sands of Italy, fans - new and old alike - will love this new tale from Portia MacIntosh. Add it to your to-read list for sure.

Portia MacIntosh's best book so far, just go and read it for yourself now, especially if you are already a fan of hers. And if you aren't well all the books are fab so this one seems like another level of fun and brilliance.

So we have a mystery shopper, Peach with a fake boyfriend, who was a wonderful one night with a real man with rather similar characteristics to the fake boyfriend.

We have her sister Di, who fell in love at first sight at a friends wedding a week ago, arrived back in the UK to say she is getting married in a week or so's time, in a luxurious Italian resort.

But, well by the time the bridal party all make it to Italy, in the group that are spending the week getting ready for the wedding there is - Peaches most recent one night stand, the man she lost her virginity too, Di's long term ex, the groom and let's just say there is some overlap between the labels I've given the various men!

And I'm not telling you what the overlap is, add in Peach and Di's cousin Van over from LA who is the life and soul of the party, a cousin of the groom that takes an instant fancy to Peach, and Di's best friend who never seems to like Peach, and seems jealous of any male attention that Peach gets - and you have the cast for a wonderful rom com!

And it truly is wonderful, and I could easily see this on the big screen, and 100% is should be made into a film. But until then well the movie playing out in my mind while I was reading the words was rather fantastic! And I have to say I haven't even touched to the surface of men and the various connections between them and the various women of the group!

It's nuts and it really does show what a small world it is. And the Italian setting is gorgeous, just what is needed especially when fate seems to be pushing two people together a lot!

But does Peach really believe her sister can be happy after only knowing the groom for a week, or will she try to throw a spanner in the works. And is she the only one thinking like that, or are there perhaps more at the wedding that may not be completely on board with the happy pairing!?

Well you will need to read to find out, and I was hooked from the first few pages, and that was before the situation evolved the way it did at which point I couldn't get enough of the book.

It's completely brilliant, very entertaining and amusing and just a top notch rom com! I'm gutted I reached the end would have happily kept on reading for a long while as I was enjoying these characters so much.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,

Portia MacIntosh never fails to provide us with a laugh out loud, yet totally heart warming story that you find impossible to out down.

Penelope - known as Peach - is waiting for her sister's flight to arrive as she returns from a friends wedding. When the flight is delayed, Peach finds herself talking to handsome stranger Matt - and as her sister can no longer accompany her to the Mote for a meal and a hotel stay, Peach extends an invitation to Matt. They hit it off right away, and one thing quickly leads to another, but Peach's bubble is soon burst when she wakes up the next morning to find that Matt has left without so much as a goodbye.
A week passes by, following the shock announcement from her sister that she is getting married - Peach finds herself once again waiting at the airport, but this time it is her that is boarding a plane, and here she comes face to face with the man who left her reeling the week before.

This is one of those books that once you have started it, you will not be able to part with. I adored the characters and the various dynamics they all brought to the story. Peach and Di's relationship was so beautiful, and the bond they shared was truly heartwarming. As new characters joined the story as the book progresses, it adds so much depth to this fantastic book.

Hilarious and emotional at the same time, I adored the story and eagerly await this authors next release!.

Loved this book! Really funny, fun romance with some drama. Very enjoyable! Read it in one day! Couldn't put it down!

This is a fun read when life gets to be too much. Put a smile on your face by reading this one and relax. You’ll enjoy the vacation.

As if by magic Portia does it again and writes another 5⭐ book.

I love Portia's style of writing. It is so easy to fall in love with the characters.

This book is set in York and I could picture everything so clearly as it's one of my favourite cities to visit.

You are thrown into the storyline when Peach visits an extravagant hotel as a potential venue for a wedding and the fun continues from there and keeps you hooked until the last page.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've read many of Portia's books before and they've pretty much all been 5 star reads. I enjoy her style of writing, it's almost like listening to a friend talk. At 3 or 4 hours reading, they're the perfect length for me too.


I just loved the settings of this book, from luxury wedding venues and hotels in the UK to private resorts in Italy. They provided a much needed bit of escapism.


I enjoyed most of the characters in this book, although I felt their personalities all waived a bit too much. There were a few too many secret relationships in the story too that made me feel a bit uncomfortable. It left me thinking the sisters were not as close as they thought.


On the whole though, I enjoyed it. It was an easy, fun read. 3.5 stars.

Whenever I am invited to review a book by Portia MacIntosh, I know that I’m in for a treat. Life’s a Beach shifted that knowledge up a gear.
We often hear that books are impossible to put down, page-turners, gripping etc. This meets all of the above criteria and then some. I’d just finished reading a more taxing book and this was the perfect ‘palate cleanser’. A laugh a minute packed with repeated hilarious situations and misunderstandings.
The whole premise of this story rests on Peach learning that her sister is going to marry a man that she’s known for a week. Not only is she going to marry him, she’s doing it in a week’s time. To add to Peach’s disgust, the groom is the boy who took her virginity in 6th form and then lied to everyone about it. Clearly, this marriage cannot go ahead.
Of course, the best man is a one-night stand that ghosted Peach, clearly a sign that this marriage is doomed.
There you have it, the scene is set for a comedy of errors and faux pas which would give the bard a run for his money. From drunken games of spin the bottle, to jealous exes being invited, it’s a non-stop tale of awkward situations.
It’s hard to pick a favourite character, but Cousin Vanessa was a hoot. The kind of girl you want to have on your side, to lift you when you’re feeling down and to always have your best interests at heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was the tonic that I hadn’t realised I needed.

I've only recently discovered Portia MacIntosh's books but I have quickly fallen in love with her as an author. Life's A Beach, like so many of her other novels, is a fun read with great characters and just enough hijinks to keep you entertained. I loved Peach right from the beginning and couldn't wait to see what her story was going to turn out to be. I also really like Matt (even when Peach was mad at him). Their first night together was funny and you just knew from the start that they were perfect for one another. Now for the rest of the characters. I knew there had to be an explanation for what happened the morning after their first hotel stay and

I found Diana to be a little self-centered, but as I got to know her better I realized she's really just been swept up by her love for Charles that she's got some tunnel vision. That being said, I was not happy with her lying about who was causing her so much stress as the wedding approached. I didn't really like Charles all that much. He was horrible to Peach back in school and never really apologized (his attempt at an apology was more about how much he suffered from his behavior). It was obvious how much he loved Diana so I forgave him a little, but his behaviors leading up the wedding made me want to smack him more than once. Although I didn't totally buy the explanation for how Peach accidentally invited Alex to the wedding, his presence did lead to some pretty amusing moments. Vanessa could be a little over the top by her loyalty to Peach made me forgive her for most of it. Chris was pretty much a jerk from start to finish.

I did feel bad for Peach because it seemed like all the guys she ever slept with preferred Diana to her, But the ending scene between her and Matt made up for how terribly those guys had treated her. I would have loved a short epilogue to see what happened later on down the road, but even without that the ending is pretty perfect.

Life’s a Beach by Portia Macintosh

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Read if you liked: The Ex-List, Beach Read

Rating: 4.5/5

Warning: Mentions divorce

Summary:
Peach, an experience reviewer visits different businesses to leave reviews on her experience. She even has a fake fiancé named Matthew Hemsworth that she uses when visiting wedding venues! However, her life changed completely when she met Matthew at the airport while waiting for her sister to arrive back home. Everything was great until Matthew disappeared the next morning…

Peach travels to Italy for her sister’s destination wedding. Guests, wedding party members, and the groom all end up being the most unexpected people imaginable! Will the wedding go off without a hitch? Will Peach and Matthew end up together after he left her? You’ll have to read to find out!!

This book was such a joy to read! Within every chapter there was an unexpected twist and turn that really left me hanging on until the last page!

Things I loved: Peach and Di’s relationship and the unexpected moments throughout the book!

Things I didn’t care for: I didn’t care for Dylan and Bens characters. Personally, I felt they didn’t have much impact on the book!

https://www.instagram.com/livinglifeincashmere/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/124027385-amanda-grusoski

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Di, Peach’s sister is getting married and Peach is excited and happy for her. But she would have liked her to be engaged to that person for a bit longer than a week, she’s also thinking that as his names Charles, it doesn’t feel like a good thing(think royals). She’s not in a position to say anything though as her own love life doesn’t exist. But who doesn’t love a wedding abroad...?

So, now she’s at the gorgeous Italian coast, and Peach continues with her role of chief bridesmaid and, even though she’s not that happy with the groom that her sisters marrying, she will try and make sure everything goes to plan.

But when have weddings ever gone like clockwork? There’s some unexpected guests in the form of their ex boyfriend’s and not to mention one night stands. Pretty soon, the drama is like a reality tv show.

So, will Peach be able to bring her sisters wedding to the happy ending or will she end up with her own whirlwind romance?

Peach is a mystery shopper, a single girl flat sharing in York. While waiting for her sister at the airport she meets Matt a PR assistant, here starts a story of misunderstandings and confusion proving what a small world we live in. I quite enjoyed this book, it was entertaining, fast paced and easy to read. Brilliant book for the beach partly set in a villa in Italy, it really makes you want to be there with them enjoying the pool and beach.

This is a fun book. Can she go on holiday with any more of her exes? Or will Matt be the one? A really enjoyable book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Thanks you Netgally for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This will make you smile. I am sure of it. Cute book.

Life's a Beach by Portia MacIntosh is a fun romp if you are looking for a little escapism in these trying times. While I did not find this one as laugh out loud funny as I have Ms MacIntosh's previous books, it will certainly put a smile on your face, and is the perfect lighthearted and easygoing read.

Peach is stunned when her sister Di announces that she is getting married to a man she has only known for a week. Peach is nothing if not supportive though, and happily travels to the Italian coast where the wedding is being held. But the trip is not without its pitfalls, and the cast of characters making up the wedding party will share a celebration that will, for some, set the stage for revelations, and even romance.

I look forward to whatever comes next from Ms MacIntosh, as it is virtually guaranteed to be a treat.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

This story was definitely a comedy of errors which really kicked off with a chance meeting between the main character and her love interest Matt. The lead, Penelope “Peach’ was pretty likeable as was Matt. Their initial encounter and their subsequent interactions were all very enjoyable. There was a destination wedding, a lot of ex-boyfriends, and partner swapping shenanigans in this story though which required some suspension of disbelief. I wasn’t too keen on Charles (despite the apology) or Di (she knows what she did) at the end there though and think they both got off fairly easily considering. Vanessa was great fun and I would love to see how things work out for her. Overall a light fluffy read (3 ⭐️)

I seriously love Portia MacIntosh books; they're so much fun and this is no exception! Her books are always a great escape read and this was just as fun and hilarious as all the others, plus add in a great new locale. While the premise was pretty easy to guess, the storyline was just as fun to read.

Love at first sight ? Fabulous and funny, a nice easy read for summer, I didnt want to put it down
On the hunt for my next book by Portia

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

A perfect Beach read about finding yourself and finding fun friends along the way. Such a great easy read.